Knuckles' Chaotix (1995)





(Now Playing: "Just Another Day" (Credits Medley) from Knuckles' Chaotix for the Sega Genesis 32-X.)

Chaotix is probably one of THE strangest and most experimental Sonic-related games ever made...and that's probably why it failed commercially. It's not that it's BAD, or blatantly a copy of some other game (Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is that), if anything it was TOO original. Some of its weird, funky new ideas that most gamers just couldn't wrap their heads (or wallets) around include: levels in RANDOM order, no Star Posts, only one life and no extra lives, NEGATIVE rings, boxes that make you grow, shrink, or change into someone else, a truly freakazoid (and fun) Special Zone, and last but not least, a new style of gameplay where your main character is constantly hooked to a partner by means of a "rubber band" made out of sparkles; you get up speed and execute amazing leaps by using the tension of that rubber band. Most gamers didn't want to bother with it or found the "buddy-system" to be too annoying, but I don't mind it that much. Also the 32-X itself failed, which may also be part of the problem.
Although the game itself is decent, the best thing about Chaotix BY FAR is the new characters it introduces--Vector, Charmy, Espio, and Mighty (although Mighty showed up earlier in SegaSonic the Hegehog Arcade, but that's even MORE obscure.) And here we see the triumphant return of MechaSonic--here he not only gets to beat up the good guys, but does so while turning red and growing to THREE STORIES TALL! One of the most impressive-looking Sonic-game villians ever.
As for the music--well, it's pretty good. At first I didn't think it really suited a Sonic game--too mild and muzak-y--but that was before I'd really heard very much of it. Today, I STILL think it's kinda odd for a Sonic-related game, but quite good as music, and it fits the game well.
Note that since the levels come in random order, the songs have been listed alphabetically rather than chronologically--it was the only thing I could arrange them at all...

"Combination" (Practice Level), sequenced by Jose Felix.
"Destructive Power", sequenced by John Weeks. (I'm not sure exactly where in the game this comes from...)
Morning at the World Entrance, ("Walkin'"), sequenced by Koryan.
Evening at the World Entrance, ("Evening Star") sequenced by Koryan.
Midnight at the World Entrance, ("Moonrise") sequenced by John Weeks.
Isolated Island Zone ("Door Into Summer"), sequenced by King MiKE.
Marina Madness Zone ("Seascape") sequenced by Koryan.
Speed Slider Zone ("Speed of Sound"), sequenced by Koryan.
Speed Slider Boss ("Child's Song"), sequenced by John Weeks.
Circus Zone from Sonic Crackers (The Beta version of Chaotix).
Techno Tower Zone ("Electoria"), sequenced by Koryan. This is the FINISHED version of the Circus Zone song, and it shows.
Bonus Stage ("Tachy Touch"), sequenced by John Weeks.
Special Zone ("Tube Panic"), sequenced by Jose Felix (better version).
"Surprise!" (MechaSonic attacks in the World Entrance) Sequenced by John Weeks.
"Just Another Day" (Zone Medley/Credits) Sequenced by Jose Felix.



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793music-loving Mobians and Floating Islanders have been here since November 14, 1999. Of course, they were all chomped into tiny bits by HyperMechaSonic's giant fangs, but hey...